Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and in particular, to power amplifiers for radio frequency (RF) electronics.
Description of the Related Technology
Power amplifiers can be included in mobile devices to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal for transmission via an antenna. For example, in mobile devices having a time division multiple access (TDMA) architecture, such as those found in Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) systems, a power amplifier can be used to amplify an RF signal having a relatively low power. It can be important to manage the amplification of an RF signal, as a desired transmit power level can depend on how far the user is away from a base station and/or the mobile environment. Power amplifiers can also be employed to aid in regulating the power level of the RF signal over time, so as to prevent signal interference from transmission during an assigned receive time slot.
The power consumption of a power amplifier can be an important consideration. One technique for reducing power consumption of a power amplifier is envelope tracking, in which the voltage level of the power supply of the power amplifier is controlled in relation to the envelope of the RF signal. Thus, when the envelope of the RF signal increases, the voltage supplied to the power amplifier can be increased. Likewise, when the envelope of the RF signal decreases, the voltage supplied to the power amplifier can be decreased to reduce power consumption.